Bigipedia: The Complete Series 1

WARNING: some listeners may find this content offensive. Welcome to Bigipedia - the omniscient friend you know from your computer and laser watch takes over for 30 minutes in a unique experiment in broadwebcasting. Bigipedia - a world of knowledge at your fingertips brought direct to your ears unless you're listening online, in which case it's been brought from your ears back to your fingertips and thence, into your ears again.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (Dramatised)

A Special Edition of the original radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978 and recently voted the Nation's Favourite Audiobook in a Guardian poll. Starring Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Susan Sheridan and Stephen Moore, these six episodes (Fit the First to Fit the Sixth) have been remastered to modern-day standards by Dirk Maggs, and for the first time feature Philip Pope's arrangement of the familiar theme tune.

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme: The Complete Series 3 & 4

The complete third and fourth series of BBC Radio 4's award-winning sketch show, written by and starring the writer of Cabin Pressure. In the third and fourth series of his hit sketch show, John Finnemore examines a typically eclectic range of issues including making friends, the problem with polymath bestselling authors, the colour of posh men's trousers, and a history of choice.

Welcome to our Village Please Invade Carefully: Series 2

The complete second series of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom about an alien invasion of a small village, starring Hattie Morahan and Charles Edwards with Peter Davison and Jan Francis. When the small Buckinghamshire village of Cresdon Green is invaded by an alien race called the Geonin, the local residents come up against Uljabaan, the smooth-talking leader of the aliens.

My First Planet: The Complete Series 1

The complete first series of My First Planet - a sitcom set on a shiny new planet, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Vicki Pepperdine (Jo Brand's Getting On) & Tom Goodman-Hill (Another Case of Milton Jones) The story so far: Unfortunately, Burrows the leader of the colony has died on the voyage, so his Number 2, Brian (Nicholas Lyndhurst), is now in charge. He's a nice enough chap, but no alpha male, and his desire to sort things out with a nice friendly meeting infuriates the colony's Chief Physician, Lillian (Vicki Pepperdine), who'd really rather everyone was walking round in tight colour-coded tunics....

Double Science

Here are all six episodes of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom written by and starring Ben Willbond and Justin Edwards about two incompetent science teachers who work at a college that specialises in drama, and whose world is turned upside down by the arrival of a new boss.

Fags, Mags & Bags: Complete Series 1

BBC Radio 4 sitcom written by and starring Sanjeev Kohli and Donald McLeary, set in a Glasgow corner shop. In Series One, which was first broadcast in 2007, the nettle of the ugly spectre of racism was grasped, a religious festival was invented and an impacted cola bottle (sour) was removed from one of Ramesh's premolars. We were also introduced to the Wall of Crisps and witnessed the world's first partwork completion.

My First Planet: Series 2: The BBC Radio 4 Sci-Fi Sitcom

Nicholas Lyndhurst and Vicki Pepperdine lead the cast of the BBC Radio 4 sci-fi sitcom set on a shiny new planet, as it returns for a second series. With the leader of the interplanetary colony expedition dead, his Number 2 - Brian - is now in charge. He's a nice enough chap, but his desire to sort things out with a nice friendly meeting infuriates the colony's Chief Physician Lillian, who'd rather everyone was walking round in tight colour-coded tunics saluting each other.

Bleak Expectations: The Complete First Series

A Victorian epic of awful schools inc the aptly named St Bastards, worse prisons, nuns at St Bitches, giant rabbits, and long lost super-hero aunts, in the style of Charles Dickens after far too much gin.

Bleak Expectations: The Complete Third Series

The third volume of this magnificent, award-winning Dickensian comic epic first transmitted by the British Broadcasting Club's Radio 4. It's a Victorian epic of shenanigans at awful schools, worse prisons, featuring giant rabbits, and long lost super-hero aunts - in the style of Charles Dickens after far too much gin. Winner of the 'British Comedy Guide Editors' Award', volume three stars Anthony Head, Celia Imrie, Geoffrey Whitehead, Richard Johnson, Tom Allen, James Bachman and David Mitchell.

Bleak Expectations: The Complete Second Series

Bleak Expectations is the remarkable adventures of young Philip Bin as he struggles to rescue himself and his sisters from the plotting of his guardian, the scheming, evil and badly-named Mr Gently Benevolent, and the blood-curdling Hardthrasher brothers.

Publisher's Summary

Welcome to Bigipedia - the omniscient friend you know from your computer and laser watch takes over your PC or listening device for 30 minutes in a unique experiment in broadwebcasting.... Launched on an unsuspecting public, Bigipedia is a massive mash-up of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Wikipedia, My Space, Yahoo, and Amazon, all vying for your attention, love, money, and, occasionally, vital organs. Sponsored by Chianti, the worlds worst-ever beverage, with its series of ever more off-putting straplines ("Chianti - legally, wine").

In the first of the complete four episodes, we enjoy the long-awaited release of Bigipedia 2.0 - the infallible, ever-present cyberfriend is back! Now with all errors and mistakes.

In episode 2, we discover how Bigipedia 2.0 is now bigger, better, and closer - so it looks bigger twice! Also, the wisdom of crowds, the joy of deregulated advertising and Bigipedia throughout history.

In episode 3, Bigipedia 2.0 launches its own social network, BigiBuzz! Find out what's popular so you can be one of them! Also, Britain's least-haunted house is visited by terrified ghost-hunter Felix Richard, and we find out the true meaning of pilk and pleather. And in the final episode, we launch BigiHype - the sure-fire way to raise the profile of a new event or an unpopular charity!

Bigipedia 2.0 is another installment of the unutterable madness that only the British can provide. It sends up online research, social networking, oversharing, screen names, blatant manipulation, false emotion, discussion forums, and advertising, all performed in a style that complements our daily information overload.

If you need a break from serious reading, study, or a boring work week, you might want to listen to this. I laughed so much my face hurt. Word of advice: do not drink any beverage while listening to this unless you require nasal lavage.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

david lebo

05/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Disturbing view of our future. GREAT FUN!!!!!"

so fun! it's like future retro. Or, the horrifying future to come. Plinky. Horrible goodness. Enjoy and stay away from the Chiatno.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

kathryn

London, United Kingdom

06/04/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Hidden gem"

What did you love best about Bigipedia: The Complete Series 2?

This is one of the few absolutely sublime comedies to have come from Radio 4 in recent years. To me it's a direct descendant of 'Hitchhiker's Guide' (the eponymous book of which was, of course, a kind of proto-Wikipedia). There's a loose arc connecting the episodes (and connecting this series to the previous one), and like the best sketch shows the individual entries together form a particular silly, satirical world view.

I think series two is maybe not QUITE as good as series one - it's as if the creators heeded some of the criticisms that the pace was too fast and the format difficult to keep up with the first time round, so it's a bit toned down for this return. Since I loved the frenetic pace, I prefer the first series a little.

But series two did not disappoint in building upon what the previous run had one, and expanding it into ever funnier territory

What about the narrator’s performance did you like?

The performers are pitch-perfect, the main narrator definitely channeling a little of Peter Jone's 'Guide' in his deadpan delivery of the articles. The sound production was also excellent, creating an audio version of the multi-media internet experience very effectively.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This was laugh-out-loud for me - not just smirking or tittering appreciatively, but actually having big laughs startled out of me!

Any additional comments?

Just hugely recommended!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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